prof.dr. H.E. Vonkeman (Harald)

CHAIR PATIENT CENTERED HEALTH TECHNOLOGY

My aim is to advance research that facilitates a transition of care, in which healthcare supported by technology is increasingly being delivered at a distance from healthcare institutions, in a way that is both meaningful to patients and has added value to society. To achieve this, I intend to further develop a platform and network that facilitates collaboration between patients, scientists, medical specialists, primary care professionals and tech companies, that stimulates development of innovative health technologies and accelerates access to evidence-based technological innovations in healthcare.

As a physician, my main aim has been to enhance quality of life of patients living with chronic rheumatic diseases. Although this work has significantly improved long term outcomes of patients, I have found that there are often striking discrepancies in perceptions of disease between patients and caregivers. Much of my research has been on measuring and using patients’ perspectives as goals of treatment, i.e., outcomes that are relevant to patients; such as pain, fatigue, physical function and participation. These outcomes are often multidimensional and complex, difficult to measure and even harder to use in treatment strategies. In recent years this work has branched out to the development and implementation of Value Based Health Care. 

The role of Health Technology has become increasingly important in the way professionals diagnose, treat and monitor patients, in healthcare institutions and increasingly also at home, as well as for patients themselves. Projects aimed at using innovative technology to measure and improve outcomes involve telemonitoring of chronic diseases, computer adaptive tests, pain threshold measurement and therapeutic use of virtual reality.

As a board member of the Dutch Society for Rheumatology (NVR), charged with the portfolio Training & Education, and as director of the MST Rheumatology Fellowship, I endeavor to include innovative health technology in future medical intern- and fellowships of physicians and nurses.

Organisations

• Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences (BMS), Psychology, Health & Technology (PGT)